Replenishment Of The County's Beaches Begins

In storms' wake

Crews Are Shoring Up Eroded Beaches And Officials Are Working On A Plan To Rebuild Dunes Ravaged By Storms.

January 16, 2000|By Ludmilla Lelis of The Sentinel Staff

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Months after last year's hurricanes scoured the beachfront, trucks are now rolling to patch up the damage.

With trucks unloading precious grains of sand, work crews are shoring up areas in New Smyrna Beach and Bethune Beach that suffered tremendous beach erosion.

A double dose of damage from hurricanes Floyd and Irene flattened dunes and washed away sand along the entire Volusia shoreline. Some of the most striking changes turned the former dunes into towering cliffs of sand.

County officials are developing a long-term plan to rebuild the lost beach dunes. However, this winter's beach-replenishment project is just a quick fix for areas where erosion is threatening the foundations of homes and businesses.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is footing most of the $240,000 bill to fix those areas. Volusia County, through the county-run Port Authority, is contributing $30,000, said Matt Greeson, operations manager for the county economic resources service center.

Eleven areas will get 13,123 cubic yards of sand to replenish what was lost. These areas qualified for federal money because the dunes lacked seawalls and because the homes and businesses could be undermined by the next storm.

The beach work, which started last week, must be finished by March 15 to avoid problems with the upcoming turtle nesting season. Rob Walsh, who oversees the county's sea-turtle program, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave Volusia an emergency permit that will allow the trucks and heavy equipment to drive in the dune areas.

The dune areas, where turtles dig their nests, are designated as natural beach areas where vehicles usually aren't allowed. Even if the project takes until March to complete, there wouldn't be a risk to the turtles because Volusia doesn't get turtle nests until later, Walsh said.

Loaded dump trucks have made dozens of trips, bringing the sand from a Port Orange pit. At one area where the work is finished, just south of Sapphire Road in New Smyrna, the new sand has been packed into a rigid slope behind two homes.

At another site, by the Oceania Plaza, crews on Wednesday started to unload and push sand against a condominium pool deck that now is vulnerable to the next storm. The ruckus attracted spectators on a beach that doesn't see much traffic in the off- season.

Greeson said repairs should ease the immediate threat to oceanfront buildings in New Smyrna Beach. But the county is trying to find a long-term solution to the complex problem of maintaining beaches for a highly developed shoreline.

``Even before the storms, we have been working towards putting in a beach erosion control program,'' he said.

The work comes as the county is preparing to launch a beach-restoration program covering the entire 47-mile Volusia shoreline.

This program would represent the first time the county has studied erosion problems along the entire beachfront. However, the 1999 storms caused more erosion than ever before, prompting Volusia officials to step up efforts for the entire county.

The county's efforts are helped by the state, which now dedicates $30 million annually to preserve Florida beaches. Volusia hopes to get some of that money, as well as other federal funds, totaling $5 million, Greeson said.

That would pay for several projects, including a detailed study to uncover the types of problems peculiar to each section of beach; another study to find enough sand for all the projects; and improvements to the Ponce Inlet jetties, which often are blamed for erosion problems on the southern shore.

The Volusia County Council will discuss the long-term beach erosion plan this week. The first step would be a contract with the state to start the studies.

``This is the right time to take advantage of these opportunities,'' Greeson said.